Will Smith has done some incredible things over the years throughout his Hollywood career. Smith became quite notorious after he publicly slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022. After the incident, the actor became shunned from Hollywood as many studios and projects refused to associate with the Men in Black actor.
Back in 2022, Will Smith starred in a drama/action movie called Emancipation. The movie starred Smith as a slave named Peter who flees from a plantation. Being such an intense movie, the actor stated that he wanted to feel the degradation of being a slave. As per the actor, he had quite an experience during the shooting of the movie.
Will Smith Felt Degraded While Shooting Emancipation
Back in 2022, Will Smith starred in Antoine Fuqua’s movie Emancipation. The movie starred Smith as a slave who runs from a plantation after he is whipped within an inch of his life. Smith, who portrays the character of Peter, has to survive in the cold.
The movie received an average rating as fans had some anger remaining for the Men in Black actor. Talking about the movie, Will Smith talked about how he wanted to feel the degradation of being a slave and hence, he told the crew to put him in an actual chain around his neck.
“I went too far in ‘Emancipation’. Just bringing it up, I start to get teary. I wanted to feel the degradation of slavery, and I went too far in. That level of human brutality… I had the chains on my neck and we were working.”
He further continued,
“I wanted the real weight of them. I wanted real chains. They put it on my neck and they were fitting it for size and the prop master went to put the key in and it didn’t work. I’m standing there and they’re running around and they couldn’t get me out of it. I’m standing there in those chains, right on that hyperventilating edge.”
The actor recalled that the level of desperation made him turn to God. Will Smith revealed that he wouldn’t go through that again.
“I wouldn’t give it back. It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had as an actor. Peter introduced me to God. My faith got solid after working on that movie.”
Smith revealed that he has tried various methods of acting. One of the methods of his was so dangerous that he admitted to falling in love with another actor.
When Will Smith Fell In Love With Another Actor
Back in 1993, the actor starred in Six Degrees of Separation alongside Stockard Channing. In an interview, the actor revealed that he toyed around with the idea of method acting. During this toying around with method acting, Will Smith revealed that he actually fell in love with Stockard Channing.
“I got a taste early of the dangers of going too far for a character. My character was in love with Stockard Channing’s character. And I actually fell in love with Stockard Channing,”
Emancipation received a rating of 6.2/10 on IMDB and an average rating of 45% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the movie indeed had a great storyline, the film received a negative reaction from the public due to Will Smith’s infamous slap.
Source: Variety
